It was once jokingly described as a “grungy mud hut,” but these days, College Perk Coffeehouse is becoming what some patrons call “more restaurant-y.”

The coffee house, open since 2003 in a Victorian style house midway between the university and the Capital Beltway, has for years been the traditional sit-and-sip joint. But after adding table service in January and specials like jumbo beer-steamed shrimp, owner Chris Gordon said customers have settled in comfortably with the new roaming team of servers attending to their needs.

“Business has picked up since we started it,” said Gordon. “Before, we got to the point where we were busy enough that the line at the counter became too long … 12 or 15 people would be at the counter. People like to sit up at the bar and talk, while other folks like to sit at the table and work on their laptops … They don’t have to stop and get up anymore.”

About that bar Gordon mentions: College Perk has had a liquor license for some time now, but some patrons express surprise that they’re now able to sit at a bar and get mixed drinks and beer from a menu that was once filled only with coffees, teas, juices and sodas. But Gordon insists that “we want to be the coffee house where you can also get a beer, not the bar where you can also get a coffee.”

Along with renovating the building to include the bar, Gordon is trying to broaden his student base by cajoling Transportation Services into offering a university-run evening shuttle to the Perk.

“I called Shuttle-UM a year ago, offered to build a bus stop or shelter,” he said. “Of the five buses they have that go up Rhode Island, they could have one that goes up Route 1. I’d love to have more public transportation … we don’t have a whole lot of parking right now.”

Shuttle-UM officials could not be reached for comment, though Gordon said cost was the main reason the shuttle hasn’t happened. Not to be deterred, he’s even considered starting a shuttle himself. If he did increase his student base – “the median age is in the 30s” right now, he said – it would give the Perk a healthy boost to sales.

The dollar isn’t the only goal, however. Described on its website as a “community-oriented” coffeehouse, students and non-students not only coexist peacefully in the space, but also talk, eat and network with each other in communal areas.

In addition to the 1200 square feet devoted to restaurant space and marked by brightly colored walls decorated with local artwork, there’s an additional 1000 square feet of space outside used for seating, concerts, video game tournaments and movie screenings during the summer.

“Not being downtown allows us to do stuff the local bars can’t do,” said Gordon, who considers the somewhat-obscure location on Route 1 over a mile north of downtown an advantage. “We have outdoor concerts a couple times a year.”

Gordon is also considering plans to enclose the outside deck area to increase floorspace in the restaurant.

Reactions to the new service format have been generally positive.

“I’m here for the coffeehouse ambiance, but I definitely like the table service,” said Liz Robinson, a 2003 psychology graduate. “It’s not too restaurant-y.”

Guitarist Keegan Corby, 24, has played open mikes and shows at Perk for nearly a year, and said he’s noticed a resurgence in business.

“It’s fairly new, the whole bar,” he said. “I think it definitely offers a lot more potential.”

Contact reporter Laura Schwartzman at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.